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Is proximity to green space in childhood linked to fewer respiratory issues in adulthood?

New research presented on Wednesday at the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2018 has found that growing up near green spaces may be connected to a reduced number of respiratory problems as an adult. Carried out by researchers at the Department of Occupational Medicine at Haukeland University Hospital, Norway, the new findings come from RHINESSA, a large international study that has been investigating lung health in children and adults in seven European countries.

Thought you would be unaffected by the dust and pollution with a rolled up window and the air conditioning on in the car? Sorry, you are wrong as a new research from Duke University has pointed that when the car hits the road at rush hours, the pollution levels reach a high not just outside, but inside the car as well, that too twice the level.

Climate change may increase the number of air pollution-related deaths globally by 60,000 in 2030 and 2,60,000 by the end of this century, if left unaddressed, a study warns.

The study by researchers at University of North Carolina (UNSC) at Chapel Hill in the US adds to growing evidence that the overall health effects of a changing climate are likely to be overwhelmingly negative.

The country with the worst air pollution is not the one you’re thinking of
Analysts looked at NASA satellite images and found that measurements of particulate matter — the microscopic particles that invade your lungs and can cause cancer and heart disease — improved impressively in China over the past few years while air quality in India has worsened, with 2015 ranking as India’s most polluted year on record.

Pollution Control Board report: Air pollution on the rise in Gujarat, both in cities and industrial clusters
There seem to be serious rise in the air pollution levels across Gujarat during the last one year, as air samples collected under both the National and State Air Quality Monitoring Programmes – NAMP & SAMP – show a deterioration in the quality of air in both cities and industrial clusters.

‘Time Bomb’ set to explode: Air pollution claims a life in every 23 seconds in India
NEW DELHI: 1.4 million people in India die pre-maturely due to air pollution, which is one life lost every 23 seconds, says a report of the World Health Organisation.
Come 2030 and the fuels we use today would have made the air so toxic with pollutants that it would be close to impossible to live and move without oxygen kit as a permanent burden and part of lifestyle, says the report.
The grim future is highlighted in a video ‘Time Bomb’ made by Hawa Badlo, an independent people’s movement, and supported by GAIL (India) Limited.

Air pollution cost India 8.5% of its GDP in 2013: studyNew Delhi: Measures to safeguard the environment are often considered to be economic spoilers as they entail putting restrictions on economic activity such as shutting a polluting factory or scrapping old vehicles. What is not taken into account while making these calculations is the cost imposed on people living in regions where pollution and environmental degradation is higher.

Bike emission norms to cut air pollutionPUNE: The Union government’s decision to enforce particulate matter emission standards and on-board diagnostic system for bikes and three-wheelers for the first time might improve the air quality in the city choked with over 22 lakh two-wheelers.
Union ministry of road transport and highways has notified implementation of the Bharat Stage VI (BSVI) emissions standards for all vehicles nationwide in 2020.

Over 90% of world breathing bad air: WHOGENEVA: Nine out of 10 people globally are breathing poor quality air, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, calling for dramatic action against pollution that is blamed for more than six million deaths a year.

“It is a public health emergency,” said Maria Neira, head of the WHO’s department of public health and environment, adding that urgent action to tackle air pollution “can’t come soon enough”.

Invisible foe in air kills 600,000 in a year
Fine particulate matter from industries, cars and biomass causing premature mortality.
Air pollution could have killed at least 600,000 Indians in 2012, a study conducted by the World Health Organisation and made public on Monday said.
That is about a fifth of the 3 million who died worldwide because they were exposed to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that may have aggravated or been directly responsible for cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer.

Delhi second-most polluted major city in the world, says WHO study
A new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on ambient air pollution levels shows that with very high levels of particulate matter measuring 10 microns or less, Delhi is among the most polluted cities in the world, second only to Riyadh among the big cities.
The report — Ambient Air Pollution: A Global Assessment of Exposure and Burden of Diseases — found that 92 per cent of the world’s population lives in places where air quality levels exceed WHO limits.

Air pollution to blame for traffic accidents: Study
Toxic air impairs driver fitness, while watery eyes and an itchy nose could also be distracting for motorists, researchers said.
Air pollution may be responsible for hundreds of car accidents a year, as toxic air may impair driver fitness, a new UK study has found.
Researchers from the London School of Economics divided the UK into a grid of 32 areas each covering about 7,700 square km and mapped accidents to the level of air pollution between 2009 and 2014.

‘Bulk of Delhi’s pollution comes from neighbouring States’
The findings were part of a study conducted by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute.
An analysis of Delhi’s air pollution and future trends says that 60% of Delhi’s particulate matter pollution comes from neighbouring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Moreover, even if Delhi were to adopt the cleanest-grade fuel available, ensure that power plants in the vicinity adopt stringent emissions and ensure tidy pavements, pollution would persist well above globally-recommended safe levels, unless neighbouring states too adopted similarly stringent policies.

Centre to study air quality, health link openedCHENNAI: With studies showing how exposure to household air pollution can lead to respiratory infections, adverse pregnancy outcomes and heart disease, Sri Ramachandra University and Indian Council of Medical Research opened a centre for advanced research on air quality, climate and health on Thursday.
“We need research in environmental and occupational health to generate evidence for key policy decisions leading to sustained actions,” said ICMR director general Dr Soumya Swaminathan.

Khanna sees fall in air pollution levelsKHANNA:Even as Khanna has achieved the dubious distinction of being among the world’s 20 most polluted cities in the world, the recent data of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) suggests some fall in the air pollution levels in this industrial city, though they continue to be higher than normal. The data suggests that the annual average for Khanna (recorded at two observatories) was 116.5 ppm (parts per million) in 2012, and after that it witnessed a jump and was recorded at 178.5 in 2013.

Beijing issued the “yellow alert” for air pollution today for the second time this month as the Chinese capital remained blanketed by heavily-polluted haze, forcing city residents indoors. The fine particulate matter PM2.5 touched 304 micrograms per cubic metre today, which is regarded very unhealthy specially for people with heart and lung problems, accoring to the air quality index of the US Embassy here.

Ghaziabad’s air quality to be checked on DiwaliGhaziabad: In an effort to ascertain air and noise pollution in Ghaziabad during Diwali, the UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has decided to conduct a two-stage analysis later this month. The board will measure levels of pollutants just a few days before Diwali and on Diwali night to carry out a comparative analysis.

The first stage of the study is likely to be conducted two days before Diwali. The exact date will be notified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) later this week.

New Delhi: As Delhi’s air quality turned ‘severe’ for the first time this season on Tuesday, authorities have banned construction activities along with halting operations of industries using coal and biomass as fuel between November 1 and 10 and are considering regulating use of private vehicles.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) issued the directions, which also included intensifying patrolling in ‘hot spots’ with “no tolerance for visibly polluting vehicles”, to government agencies following the orders from the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA).

In a family, if all members are of working age, have jobs or businness, family wealth grows very fast. More working hand and high economic growth. So, is the case of a nation! and India is lucky enough to have 65% population under the age of 35 years, that is 800 Million people will be part of its work force for over next 20 years. Huge wealth creation potential for the family called India!!

But hold on, what if, all the members of this family has a poor health, low IQ and irritated mindset? There are enough reserchs to show that long exposure to Air pollution not only install an irritated behaviour over time, but affect brain as well. Here is the list of damages:

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Discussion Points

Role of Business and Technology
Impact on health: Good Air, Good Health – For a cleaner Delhi
Technology Innovations: Electrostatic precipitation efficiency and ozone control technology, Use of low-cost sensors and IT Research status and development trend of indoor air pm2.5 contamination controlRoad Traffic Emissions and Dispersion in the context of DelhiPolicy Measures: Trees for Air Pollution Tolerance/Developing Green Belts as an Ecological Mitigation